Union Teen Wins Governor’s Award for Dance and Leadership

UNION, N.J. — A Union teenager has been recognized statewide for her achievements in dance and leadership.Jordyn Gobern, 16, a junior dance major at Union County Vocational-Technical Schools’ Academy for Performing Arts, was named a 2026 recipient of the New Jersey Governor’s Award for Exceptional Artistry and Community Leadership in Dance. The honor is presented by Dance New Jersey.Gobern, a lifelong Union resident, began dancing at age 3 while enrolled in prekindergarten at the Five Points YMCA. She later attended Connecticut Farms Elementary School and Kawameeh Middle School before enrolling at the Academy for Performing Arts in Scotch Plains.She has trained extensively in multiple dance styles, including ballet, jazz, modern and hip-hop, and has been a member of the competition team at Elite Performing Arts Center in Scotch Plains since she was 9.“The Governor’s Award is very special to me, and I am truly honored to have received this award,” Gobern said. “It is very meaningful because it recognizes not only my performance in dance, but also my leadership skills.”In addition to her performance work, Gobern has taken on several leadership roles at her school. She serves as president of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, is a member of the National Honor Society and represents her class on student council.She recently made her choreography debut in her school’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors” and served as a student choreographer and dance captain for the spring musical “Les Misérables.”Gobern said she has been developing her leadership abilities since her freshman year and is proud to see those efforts recognized.After high school, she plans to pursue a bachelor of fine arts degree in dance and hopes to build a professional career in commercial dance.